Barbury Castle

Heritage Site in Wiltshire

England

Barbury Castle

Burderop Down, Wiltshire Overlooking farmland on Burderop Down.
Burderop Down, Wiltshire Credit: Rebecca A Wills

Barbury Castle, located in Wiltshire, England, is an ancient hill fort that has become a significant heritage site. The fort is situated on Barbury Hill, which stands at an elevation of 261 meters, providing stunning views of the surrounding countryside.

Dating back to the Iron Age, Barbury Castle was constructed around the 6th century BCE and was used for several centuries by various civilizations. The fort covers an area of approximately 5.6 hectares and is surrounded by impressive earthwork ramparts, which were built using the local chalk. These ramparts, with a height of up to 3 meters, were likely constructed to provide defensive capabilities.

Inside the fort, there are the remains of several circular huts, indicating that the site was once inhabited. Archaeological excavations have also revealed evidence of a central courtyard and a series of ditches that may have served as an additional line of defense.

Today, Barbury Castle is a popular destination for visitors interested in the region's history and natural beauty. The site is managed by English Heritage and is open to the public. Visitors can explore the fort's earthwork defenses, walk along the ramparts, and appreciate the breathtaking panoramic views. Interpretive panels provide information on the fort's history and significance.

Barbury Castle, with its rich archaeological heritage and picturesque location, offers a glimpse into the past and serves as a testament to the ancient civilizations that once thrived in the area.

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Barbury Castle Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 51.4854/-1.7866 or Grid Reference SU1476. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Burderop Down, Wiltshire Overlooking farmland on Burderop Down.
Burderop Down, Wiltshire
Overlooking farmland on Burderop Down.
Burderop Down, Wiltshire Looking southeast over farmland from Burderop Down.
Burderop Down, Wiltshire
Looking southeast over farmland from Burderop Down.
Burderop Down, Wiltshire Looking along a bridleway running over farmland on Burderop Down.
Burderop Down, Wiltshire
Looking along a bridleway running over farmland on Burderop Down.
Smeathe's Ridge, Wiltshire Overlooking farmland on Smeathe's Ridge, viewed from the Ridgeway Bridleway.
Smeathe's Ridge, Wiltshire
Overlooking farmland on Smeathe's Ridge, viewed from the Ridgeway Bridleway.
Smeathe's Ridge, Wiltshire Looking southeast over sheep grazing on Smeathe's Plantation.
Smeathe's Ridge, Wiltshire
Looking southeast over sheep grazing on Smeathe's Plantation.
Burderop Down, Wiltshire A signpost pointing the way along the Ridgeway on Burderop Down.
Burderop Down, Wiltshire
A signpost pointing the way along the Ridgeway on Burderop Down.
Farmland, Wroughton The clump of trees at Barbury Castle appears above a crop of oil-seed rape.
Farmland, Wroughton
The clump of trees at Barbury Castle appears above a crop of oil-seed rape.
Farmland, Wroughton Barbury Castle rises to the left above a vivid crop of oil-seed rape.
Farmland, Wroughton
Barbury Castle rises to the left above a vivid crop of oil-seed rape.
Farmland, Wroughton A large field of barley to the west of the road below Barbury Castle.
Farmland, Wroughton
A large field of barley to the west of the road below Barbury Castle.
Byway, Ogbourne St Andrew With a gallop on the Barbury Castle Estate to its left.
Byway, Ogbourne St Andrew
With a gallop on the Barbury Castle Estate to its left.
Road, Ogbourne St Andrew The point-to-point course and arable farmland lie to the right of the road descending northwards below Barbury Castle.
Road, Ogbourne St Andrew
The point-to-point course and arable farmland lie to the right of the road descending northwards below Barbury Castle.
Undated field system, Burderop Down This is a well-preserved field system which extends for approximately 600m across the north-facing slopes of Burderop Down, just east of Barbury Castle. Individual fields vary in shape and include both long, narrow and smaller square examples. The enclosing field boundaries are formed by well preserved banks up to 1.5m high and 10m wide which define units of land ranging in size from 2ha to 3ha. <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/smr/getsmr.php?id=14881" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/smr/getsmr.php?id=14881">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>
Although commonly called "Celtic" fields, it is not know whether they date from the Iron Age or even earlier. 
This image is stitched together from two photographs.
Undated field system, Burderop Down
This is a well-preserved field system which extends for approximately 600m across the north-facing slopes of Burderop Down, just east of Barbury Castle. Individual fields vary in shape and include both long, narrow and smaller square examples. The enclosing field boundaries are formed by well preserved banks up to 1.5m high and 10m wide which define units of land ranging in size from 2ha to 3ha. LinkExternal link Although commonly called "Celtic" fields, it is not know whether they date from the Iron Age or even earlier. This image is stitched together from two photographs.
Road to Barbury Castle The gradient and narrowness of this hill make it treacherous at the best of times.
Road to Barbury Castle
The gradient and narrowness of this hill make it treacherous at the best of times.
Shooting school, Burderop Down The strange objects to the left of the picture are extendable platforms from which clay pigeons are launched. More traps can be seen on the ground.
Shooting school, Burderop Down
The strange objects to the left of the picture are extendable platforms from which clay pigeons are launched. More traps can be seen on the ground.
Field system, Burderop Down This is a well-preserved field system on the north-facing slopes of Burderop Down, just east of Barbury Castle. <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/smr/getsmr.php?id=14881" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/smr/getsmr.php?id=14881">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> Although commonly called "Celtic" fields, it is not know whether they date from the Iron Age or even earlier.
Field system, Burderop Down
This is a well-preserved field system on the north-facing slopes of Burderop Down, just east of Barbury Castle. LinkExternal link Although commonly called "Celtic" fields, it is not know whether they date from the Iron Age or even earlier.
The Ridgeway running to Barbury Castle
The Ridgeway running to Barbury Castle
The Ridgeway running to Barbury Castle
The Ridgeway running to Barbury Castle
The Ridgeway running from Barbury Castle
The Ridgeway running from Barbury Castle
Show me another place!

Barbury Castle is located at Grid Ref: SU1476 (Lat: 51.4854, Lng: -1.7866)

Unitary Authority: Swindon

Police Authority: Wiltshire

What 3 Words

///jolly.woke.flats. Near Wroughton, Wiltshire

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Nearby Amenities

Located within 500m of 51.4854,-1.7866
Historic: archaeological_site
Source: Bing
Lat/Long: 51.4858306/-1.7899198
Historic: archaeological_site
Source: Bing
Lat/Long: 51.4897242/-1.7869592
Information: guidepost
Tourism: information
Lat/Long: 51.4857352/-1.791558
Barbury Castle Country Park
Board Type: history
Information: board
Tourism: information
Lat/Long: 51.4851858/-1.789094
Barbury Castle Country Park
Board Type: history
Information: board
Tourism: information
Lat/Long: 51.4853224/-1.7838661
Barrier: kissing_gate
Lat/Long: 51.4856715/-1.7916665
Barrier: kissing_gate
Lat/Long: 51.4857718/-1.7914702
Barrier: kissing_gate
Lat/Long: 51.4879464/-1.7870594
Historic: archaeological_site
Source: Bing
Lat/Long: 51.486278/-1.7886115
Barrier: stile
Lat/Long: 51.4869275/-1.7870602
The data included in this document is from www.openstreetmap.org. The data is made available under ODbL.

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